Wiki Post #1 for Richard Wright’s Black Boy: What observations did Richard Wright make about race, class, discrimination, and inequality in the Jim Crow South as a young child? What confused him, and why did he want to know more?
Richard Wright didn’t have a great understanding of what it was race, class, discrimination, and inequality during his childhood. An important observation made by Richard was when he would go to the white people home where his mother worked. He wasn’t allow to eat anything when he was hungry. He had to wait until the white people were done so he could eat whatever they left. He didn’t understood why he was hungry all the time but white people had everything they wanted and most important they were never hungry. Richard learned to fear white people but he didn’t understood why he had to fear them. One reason why Richard didn’t understood race inequality was because his mother never explained him what it was. Richard also experienced race differences when he asked his mother if Granny was white. He assumed that Granny was white just like white people because she was lighter skinned than most blacks he knew. He questioned his mother about Granny but his mother didn’t gave him a explanation about it. Instead his mother words left him even more confused and full of questions that no one wanted to answer. The only thing he received was more and more whipping. Richard also observed class when his uncle was killed by white people. He was killed because he was wealthy something that white people didn’t accept just because they believed that black people had to be poor and with less power. He didn’t understood why whites didn’t want black people to be successful and no one explained him why his uncle died.(Marisol Ornelas)
Richard Wright, being the smart boy whom he is, is always curious about the world around him. Richards curiosity to the world around him appeared to get him in trouble day in and day out throughout the book. In the beginning of the book, Richard always had the right questions running through his imaginative mind, but appeared to lack the answers to those questions. Questions such as: "I would grow vaguely angry. why could I not eat when I was hungry? Why did I always have to wait until others were through?" (19) while class discrimination evidently plays an important role in his childhood, race discrimination happens to reap into his life just as fast and just as hard. The first two chapters of the book certainly set the tone of what the reader is to expect. Richards introduction to the chilling reality of class and race discrimination at this point of the book is only the beginning of what is yet to come. (Enrique Silva)
In the beginning of the novel Richard Write did not know much about race, class, discrimination, or inequality. Richard was interested in white people and wanted to know more about them but when he asks his mother about them she wouldn’t tell him much. Richard wanted to learn more out blacks and whites but this often got him into trouble. Richard Wright and his family encounter discrimination through the book. When hi mother was ill and needed help they could not take her to the hospital because they do not care for black people, and his uncle was killed for being a successful black business man. (Heather Poochigian)
Richard Wright didn't have a great understanding of race, class, discrimination, and inequality. Growing up, Wright didn't understand that there was a difference between his family, and white families. "To me they were merely people like other people, yet somehow strangely different because I had never come in close touch with any of them,"(23). Wright was a very curious child, who liked to ask questions, and learn new information, which usually got him into trouble. Wright's first brush with race issues was when he heard of a black boy in the neighborhood being beat my a white man. Because Wright was beaten by his father, he assumed the white man must have been the black boy's father, which would explain why he had beaten him. His mother later explained to him that the white man didn't whip the black child, he beat him. These first experiences made Wright even more curious about the divide between white and black people. He also experienced his uncle's murder, which was a result of his uncle owning a good business. When Wright's father left the family, his mother was forced to find a job as a cook in a white household. Wright and his brother often went along with their mother, and Wright was always puzzled as to the reason why the whites always seemed to have more than enough to eat, while he was starving. When the white family didn't finish their dinner, Wright was able to eat, which were the few times that he actually did eat. He didn't understand why his family was always starving, when other families always ate more than their fill. Wright began to relate that feeling of hunger with the absence of his father, because his father was the reason that they were struggling. Hunger is directly associated with the poverty that Wright and his family were living in.(Gabby Clyde)
I feel that in the beginning of the book did not know anything about race, color or discrimination. As he grew older he began to hear of injustices, discrimination and inequalities that revolved around his race of being black. His first experience of race and class discrimination was when his Uncle was killed because he had a successful business. He did not fully understand why this happened to his Uncle but to just hear of these injustices angered him. As a young child, Richard seemed to be very inquisitive about everything and as he grew older he felt that he began to fit in his role of disliking white people. Richard talks of a time when he and other little black boys in his neighborhood would stand outside the door of a Jewish mans store and say mean and hurtful profanities. This shows the discrimination that Richard had picked up as a child because he learned that the Jewish people were Christ killers. Instead of being corrected by parents, these little kids were either praised or not corrected for saying these things. I feel that the whole “white is superior to black” confused him because even as a young boy seeing the chain gang he asked his mother why the black prisoners were not fighting against the white people since they outnumbered them.(Mariana Mojica)
Richard Wright did not really know much about race, class, discrimination, and inequality in his childhood. He would always ask his mother questions about blacks and whites but she never really answer his questions straightforward. I felt as if Richard was in his whole in his own world most of the time. However, Richard did have some encounters of discrimination, race, inequality, and class as he got older. Richard was beaten on his way to grocery store a couple of times. His mother kept urging him to be able to defend himself. Richard moved around a lot ever since his father left his mother. He associated going hungry with his father because his father always brought the food home. Richard never really understood why his father left but he never liked his father anyway. Soon after that Richard's mother had to get a job. Richard began roaming the streets and learning inappropriate language because most of the people at the bars would use him as a guinea pig. The closest tragedy Richard experienced to race was when his successful uncle was murdered by white people. His uncle owned a liquor business and wanted to wait a little longer to have more money since more threats were coming his way. One night Richard's uncle was murdered because he was successful. Richard learned that he doesn't get attached to the places he moved or went because things were always changing. Leila Alawad
One of the most significant observations Richard Wright presents on class discrimination is the concept of hunger. Richard watched the white people eat at the diner his mother worked. Richard expresses that watching others eat as much as they wanted, when they wanted made his vaguely angry. On the verge of starvation Richard stood in a corner of the kitchen waiting until the white people were done eating, hoping they would not finish all their food. Richard states, "I always loved to stand in the white folks' kitchen when my mother cooked, for it meant that I got occasional scraps of bread and meat..." Richard noticed a separation amongst those who could eat when they were hungry and himself who either ate scraps or stayed hungry. Questions arouse amongst Richard as to why this separation occured and asked himself, "Why could I not eat when I was hungry? Why did I always have to wait until others were through?" He could not understand why some people had enough food and others did not and it is this that drives him during childhood to want to know more. One of the most significant observations Richard expresses about race discrimination is seen when his Uncle Hoskins is murdered by white men. Richard learns that his Uncle Hoskins had been killed by whites who had long coveted his flourishing liquor business (pg. 54). The white population seen a black mans success as a threat, un-tolerated in "their" town. Richard longs for the understanding of why there is "black" and "white", why others talk the way that they do and fear as they do towards the white man. Richard presents his understanding of white people in the quote, "To me they were merely people like other people, yet somehow strangely different because I had never come in close touch with any of them. For the most part I never thought of them; they simply existed somewhere in the background of the city as a whole." Richard again wants to know more about the entire situation amongst black and white people and be on the same level as those around him. (Jodi Gongora)
As a young child, Richard Wright did not quite understand the dynamic between whites and blacks. He understood that there was a difference between “whites” and himself, but his mother would always disregard any questions he asked her. However, he did experience acts of discrimination. When his mother sent him to the grocery store, he was attacked by “white” boys. He did not understand that these boys were attacking him because of his race, but he began to realize there was something different about him. Also, when they boarded the train, he noticed that there were separate lines for blacks and whites, and that they sat in separate areas on the train. Richard Wright wanted to know more about why blacks and whites lived side by side and never interacting, except violently. He was also curious about which race his grandmother was, how she got her name, and what that made him. Richard Wright learns more about discrimination and inequality after the death of his uncle. He has a hard time understanding why his uncle did not fight back, and it’s difficult for him to understand that “white” men killed him because he had become a successful businessman. (Nicole Peck)
Richard Wright learned a lot about life at such a young age. Moving from home to home, his eyes were opened and curiosity filled his mind. He inquired a lot from his mother but never received any answers that fulfilled his thirst for knowledge. Richard soon began to realize his family's struggles. No food, no money, and no longer a father present in the home. He did not understand why everyone was able to eat besides his family. Going to work with his mother in the kitchen and seeing all of the whites eating, he did not understand why he could not sit down with them and also enjoy a meal. He questioned " Why can I not eat when I am hungry? Why did I always have to wait until others are through? I could not understand why some people had enough food and others did not?" At that point he knew it was something he would not understand any time soon. While traveling on the train from Mississippie to Arkansas he then again witnessed the treatment the colored poeple received and how different it was from the whites. He was very confused, not knowing exactly was going on. He could not seem to comprehend why there were two separate lines at the trains station.One for colored and one for whites. It seemed no matter how many questions he asked there was never an answer given back to him. He longed for answers wanting to know why. He was a young boy trying to place his life in order but no one seemed to acknowledge his inquisitive soul. (Sharita Henderson)
Richard Wright as a young boy did not understand the what class and race discrimination was but yet is was unknowingly feeling effects of them. Richard was growing up in a "White" and "Black" world. Ridchard seek out for answers as to why exactly was this dividing line between the too and for Richard his curiosity got the best of him and he found himself getting in trouble everytime what is it that differentiated the white from the black,"To me they were merely people like other people, yet somehow strangely different because I had never come in close touch with any of them," (p 23) He witnesses race discrimination when he saw a white man beating the black boy but he just asumed that it must of him his father since he was beaten by this father the concept of race discrimination have surpassed his understanding but once again is curiosity didnt stop there he later ask is mother but recived no answers, only a wipping. He lived throught class discrimination each day that went by with a grumble in his stomach that grumble became a grawl of frustration was he watch the white children at the restaurants eat there fill. It is a frusterating battle Richard fights in his mind trying to understand what it is that stands between the too. (Emily George)
Richard Wright has had a rough childhood. He grew up in extreme poverty. Richard's mom decides to keep quite about "Black" and "White" people. She never addresses anything racially with her son. At least not yet in the book. Richard is confused as to what it means to be either. He sees his own grandmother as being white, even though she is not. Richard has experience discrimination in race. His uncle was killed for having a successful business, because he was black. WHen his mother gets sick, Richard is told that they cannot take her to the hospital because they won't help black people. The class discrimination is relevant because of the poverty that he lives in. He seems to always be hungry in the book. There was also the segregated train station, where there is one line for black people and one like for white people. Richard again tries to address it with his mother but she hushes him. He is just trying to figure out what to make of the world that is confusing to him and I don't blame him. (Katie Crane)
As a young boy, Richard did not know much about race, class, discrimination and inequality. He was always full of questions but his mother refused to answer them because according to her he was too young to understand. One thing Richard did not understand growing up was the difference there was between the white and black families. He always knew there was a difference between them but he never really understood what it was. One of his experiences with class discrimination was when he would go to the white peoples home where his mother worked and he couldn’t eat whenever he was hungry. He had to wait until the white people were done and then maybe he could eat something Another example is when they boarded the train. He wanted to know why it was that black and whites were separated and couldn’t sit next to each other. Also when Richard found out about the black boy that was beaten by a white man he thought nothing about it. He was so used to the beatings he would get that he saw that as something normal and assumed that the white man was the father of the black boy. Growing up Richard experienced class discrimination each day and it was confusing for him to try to understand what was going on around him. Guillermo Rojas
Richard Wright was a very curious boy. However, he did not have a clear understanding of race, class, discrimination, and inequality as a young child. For example, he didn’t realize that there was even a difference between “whites” and “blacks”. One incident of race and inequality that Richard observed was when he heard of about a black boy who was beat by a white man. Due to Wright’s lack of understanding of race and inequality he assumed the white man must had been the black boy’s father. Wright’s assumption made since to him, because his own father always beat him. Wright was also curious about his grandmother’s race. He thought she was white, due to her lighter skin complexion, however she wasn’t. When he asked his mother about it, she was vague and wouldn’t explain may details about his grandmother to him. By his mother’s lack of information sharing, Richard began to question race, class, discrimination, and inequality issues more often. Richard became aware of class discrimination and inequality due to the fact that his family was always hungry. He didn’t understand why some people got to eat as much food as they wanted, and he had to wait. He couldn’t understand why his family was always in such need for food and other families always had more then plenty to eat. He noticed the differences among races and classes, but as a child he couldn't understand why there was such differences. When Richard’s uncle was killed for having a successful business, he did not fully understand why, however he did know such unfairness made him mad and frustrated. Wright just wanted to understand it all, and the more injustice he observed the more curious he became. (Jennifer Landers)
As a child Richard Wright did not know much about race, class, discrimination and inequality. At his early life Richard was growing up facing disappointments. Some examples are: the relationship with mom and dad, then Southern racist culture and hunger and poverty. All this elements together made Richard questioning her mother all the times but there was not a clear answer to his concerns. He did not know the differences between white and black people. As Richard grew he did experience scenes of discrimination. He questioned himself lots of times; for example “why could I not eat when I was hungry? Why did I always have to wait until others were through? I could not understand why some people had enough food and others did not” (19). Anger seems the most significant in Richard’s life. These were the type of questions that he could not understand and which mom did not have a good response to them either. Richard did not understand why white people were separate from them. Richard first experience with white boys was when his mother sent him to the grocery store. He was attacked by “white” boys several times but he stood up and protects himself. Richard did not understand that these boys were attacking him because of his race. After this experience Richard went to the saloon and learned an inappropriate language. Then, his behavior started to react differently for example the gang fights, and running away from orphanage. After all these different experiences they moved with Uncle Hoskins. Richard had a good relationship with his uncle. His uncle was like a father to Richard. But one night his uncle was murdered because he became a successful businessman. Then, Richard had to move to a different place without knowing why white and black people did not get along so well. (Blanca Guzman)
Baptism by fire, essentially, is what Wright would attest to. The moment that kid set fire to the drapes was the exact instant his life would change forever. I guess there’d be no better beginning. Out with the old and in with the terrifyingly new. Race, class, black, white, poor, rich, out, in, these were ideas that Wright steadily became aware of, if he had not already been aware, in the vaguest sense anyway. What he discovered growing up was a tantalizing world filled of drunks, bad men, worse kids, Sisyphean living for those of a different color, and words that when combined with several others weaved a tapestry that kidnapped him and took him away from the dichotomy of the life that encapsulated him. What he saw growing up, Wright told of in a way that both confused and baited him. He first found the difference between blacks and whites to be inconsequential. The occurrence of a black boy beaten by a white man opened his eyes to the fact that he and others like him were different. The passive attitude he got when he asked about these things to his mother. How she herself seemed almost afraid to say it out loud. Wright began to see the world as divided. The more you know, the less you seem to. He found himself at the center of everyone’s business, and as such, became perplexed by all he uncovered and things yet to be explored. I mean, he was a kid after all, but during that time, being a kid meant growing up fast. It also meant that if you weren’t white, you had an even tougher time at it. Wright saw in himself and the other black boys, the misconstrued image of a stigma shaped by white people. The inequity of it all easily accepted that you shall night have more than me because of skin color. He felt seemingly obligated to explore that. To prod the difference. Obvious his appetite would not be easily quenched. I mean, just look at this book, it’s pretty long.
- Ken Cadiente
Richard Wright as a young child who was extremely curious throughout his childhood, and honestly who could blame him. With that came some consequences and this resulted in this poor boy not knowing anything that divided white people and black people. He didn't understand what race, class, discrimination and inequality meant he was far beyond knowing the extent that this division had came to be. Richard Wright was an innocent boy who was caught in a world pool of discrimination and torture and experienced the most selfish acts imaginable. One of those was where Richard Wright heard a black boy getting beaten by a white man, though this was an act of violence, Richard Wright thought nothing of it, because he shared that same experience with his own father. He thought this was the norm, he didn't know at that time that this was a racial beaten, but soon would learn and grow to understand this type of violence as a whole.
-Yanira Barrera
As a young child Richard Wright did not perceive race, class, discrimination or inequality. He did not comprehend that there was a race; he would only identify the color differences between people. For example, he saw nothing wrong for a white man to beat a black boy because he thought that just as his father beat him, the same thing applied to everyone. He was unable to recognize that race played an important role in situations like the beating of a black boy. Another example would be when a white man killed his uncle Hoskins. Richard Wright did not understand why that had happened and when he would ask his mother about these situations, mother would only shut him up or make it more confusing for him. As a young child he was really curious about everything he did not understand and wanted to know what was behind these events. In addition, Wright also experienced class discrimination when he went with his mom to her workplace. In his mother’s job, he observed that all the white people got all the food and the black people did not. They would wait to see if there was anything left for them to eat afterwards. When Wright traveled to another place, at the train station he observed that there were two lines; one for the whites and the other for the blacks. He had many questions about this division and what awaken his curiously to know more was the fact that his mother would always avoid his questions. His mother’s avoidance made Richard Wright suspect that there was something hidden behind the color differences among people, which motivated him to find answers to this dilemma. -Rosana Nunez
Richard Wright makes many observations about racial and class discrimination throughout Black Boy. He experiences class discrimination from early childhood onwards, mostly through hunger. When his mom gets a job in the restaurant, he and his brother are forced to sit and watch food that they cannot eat be prepared and served to white customers. As he grows up he notices that blacks and whites do not mingle very often, and when they do, it is usually violent. He notices that there are “colored” and “white” fountains and does not quite understand why. He learns to fear whites, even though so far he has not been directly attacked by them. Once he makes an observation that his grandmother is white, or at least looks white. He questions his mother about topics of race relations, and she does not want to talk about it. It is clear that racial discrimination is a main reason why his family lives in such poverty- there are not as many options open for them. The reality for Richard Wright is that he must rise above the prejudices of the society he grew up in. -Elizabeth Ingalls
Richard Wright grew up as a very curious young boy. He continuously asked multiple questions and he never really got straight answers making his curiosity worse. On page 23 and 24 Richard hears a story about a black boy being beaten by a white man whom he assumed was the boys father. Richards mother clarified to him that the man was not his father and in fact the boy was beaten. Richard could not understand why the man would be a child without causation. It made him wonder what white people were really like.
On pages 46 through 49 Richard questions his mother if Granny is white. Because granny was a creole he assumed that she was white because she was lighter skinned than most blacks, as it were. After asking what granny was he asked what he was and mama says that he is black, white and red. He then asks why what he would be labeled as and mom says that he will be called a colored man. Richard couldn’t understand what makes the difference between a white person and a black person. He continuously looks to understand the world. (Jerica Guzman)
As a child, Richard Wright heard of many injustices that were going on around him. Nobody ever took the time to explain what was going on so he really learned on his own. An example of this is when he would ask his mom the difference between whites and blacks. She really did not want to speak to him about it. Also when his aunt's husband was killed, he had many questions as to why this happened. All these things that were going on around him confused him because of this lack of knowlegde. He wanted to know why blacks were treated differently. He also wanted to know why there was so much violence going around and what was the difference between a white man and a black man if they both looked the same to him.
-Jazmin Anguiano
When we are young, we can all see the outward appearance of someone. Tall, short, big, small, black, white, but these are obvious. Race, class, discrimination and inequality are learned, taught or otherwise imprinted upon us. Richard knows there are differences in people, but not until a black boy is beaten by a white man, does he begin to realize how distorted his view is. Adding to this could be that his grandmother, though white became black once she married a black man.The first-time Richard notices a difference in class happens at the railroad station. The train station has two lines of people at the ticket window, a “white” line and a “black” line. At that moment, he realized Negroes sat in one part of the train and whites another. This gave Richard a sense the two races had been born in him with a shared concreteness that would stay with him forever. Growing up Richard faces many struggles. His family shields him by not being open or talking about the many things that pique his interest or confuse him. Time after time, he observes situations, he needs answers for. “Again, I was being shut out of the secret, the thing, the reality I felt somewhere beneath all the words and silences” (47). In my opinion, Richard is an inquisitive child. He wants to know anything and everything. For some people, the need to know who, what, when, where, and why becomes an internal hunger that must be satisfied. It’s a puzzle, and all the pieces must fit together to help them better understand their world. Richard personally feels life holds some type of secret code and cryptic messages that are just out of his grasp.His mother and grandmother’s refusal to explain life’s truths to him makes him more determined to learn whatever the price. ----Amber Archila
As a child, Richard Wright knew nothing about race, class, discrimination, and inequality. He knew, however, that there were white people and black people, but he did not really understand the differences between them. Richard was always curious about this and would always ask his mother, but he would never get any answers. His first contact with race issues came when he heard about a white man “beating” a black boy. He thought it was okay for that to happen since his father would whip him all the time. His mother finally explained to him that white men don’t whip black boys. Instead, they beat them. Another race and class issue that Richard had experienced was when his mother began to work as a cook for the white man. Seeing all of the food that the white people had on their plates, Richard always wondered why they got to eat so much and he and his family had very little to eat. Because he felt that his father was the reason why they were in that situation, he began to relate his feeling of hunger to his father, blaming him for it.
(Moriah Gatson)
---Wright experiences the differences between blacks and whites as a child. His curiosity grows with each new experience and he becomes more confused as to why white men do the things they do. Wright does not understand or comprehend the difference in class or why white’s can have dinner every night but he most starve for days. His confusion grows more as he gets older, not understanding why a white man who is not the father of the black boy can beat him the boy and get away with it. His curiosity only angers his mother and results in her hushing him quite. Wright's constant moving of homes, having nothing to eat, and losing father figures is such a normal aspect of his life that his mind no longer questions. Wright’s young mentality does not realize the inequalities between races but rather feels as though they are normal. As Wright grows older the distinctions between whites and blacks starts to grow a hatred with in himself, and becomes a normal response.
---(tasha boyd)
The major events that young Richard Wright noticed about class was while his mother was working for a white family, the family had well cooked meals and were able to eat. In Richards household they didn’t have much to eat because his mom didn’t make enough money to keep the kitchen stocked with food. Richard a little later experienced discrimination and inequality by seeing what happened to his uncle Hoskins. Uncle Hoskins business was doing pretty well especially by him being Black, and the White people didn’t like that he was a successful business owner. So because the white people did not like that he was making money he was killed. Richard didn’t understand why these different things were happening, and by Richard being a curious boy he asked questions which always got him in trouble with his family.-Monique Tolbert
Richard Wright makes many observations about racial and class discrimination throughout Black Boy. He experiences class discrimination from early childhood onwards, mostly through hunger. When his mom gets a job in the restaurant, he and his brother are forced to sit and watch food that they cannot eat be prepared and served to white customers. As he grows up he notices that blacks and whites do not mingle very often, and when they do, it is usually violent. He notices that there are “colored” and “white” fountains and does not quite understand why. He learns to fear whites, even though so far he has not been directly attacked by them. Once he makes an observation that his grandmother is white, or at least looks white. He questions his mother about topics of race relations, and she does not want to talk about it. It is clear that racial discrimination is a main reason why his family lives in such poverty- there are not as many options open for them. The reality for Richard Wright is that he must rise above the prejudices of the society he grew up in.
(Jerry Brown)
Richard Wright was confused about race and who was considered white and who was considered black. He knew that people had different skin colors but he didn't really pay it any mind. His grandmother was "white" so he just thought it was natural. After his mother got a job cooking for white families, richard didn't understand why his mother and him couldn't eat with the white folks. He was hungry and since he was there with his mother he wanted to eat just as the white folks did. He later realized the dynamics surrounding whites and blacks and why things were as they were. He watched a white man beat a black boy and assumed they were father and son. He later found out that no and in fact they were not related, so he didn't understand why this was allowed. Later on in his life he encountered a truck of white males that offered to give him a ride and because he didn't say "yes, sir" they left him on the side of the road and told him to thank his lucky stars that they found him and not some other white males. He was offered a job and was beaten by two employees for wanting to better himself and they felt threatened by that. All of these encounters and he was not able to tell anyone what happened or reach out for help. He ultimately over came all of these obstacles and went on with his life with no regrets.
(Roe Turner)
Richard Wright didn’t have a great understanding of what it was race, class, discrimination, and inequality during his childhood. An important observation made by Richard was when he would go to the white people home where his mother worked. He wasn’t allow to eat anything when he was hungry. He had to wait until the white people were done so he could eat whatever they left. He didn’t understood why he was hungry all the time but white people had everything they wanted and most important they were never hungry. Richard learned to fear white people but he didn’t understood why he had to fear them. One reason why Richard didn’t understood race inequality was because his mother never explained him what it was. Richard also experienced race differences when he asked his mother if Granny was white. He assumed that Granny was white just like white people because she was lighter skinned than most blacks he knew. He questioned his mother about Granny but his mother didn’t gave him a explanation about it. Instead his mother words left him even more confused and full of questions that no one wanted to answer. The only thing he received was more and more whipping. Richard also observed class when his uncle was killed by white people. He was killed because he was wealthy something that white people didn’t accept just because they believed that black people had to be poor and with less power. He didn’t understood why whites didn’t want black people to be successful and no one explained him why his uncle died.(Marisol Ornelas)
Richard Wright, being the smart boy whom he is, is always curious about the world around him. Richards curiosity to the world around him appeared to get him in trouble day in and day out throughout the book. In the beginning of the book, Richard always had the right questions running through his imaginative mind, but appeared to lack the answers to those questions. Questions such as: "I would grow vaguely angry. why could I not eat when I was hungry? Why did I always have to wait until others were through?" (19) while class discrimination evidently plays an important role in his childhood, race discrimination happens to reap into his life just as fast and just as hard. The first two chapters of the book certainly set the tone of what the reader is to expect. Richards introduction to the chilling reality of class and race discrimination at this point of the book is only the beginning of what is yet to come. (Enrique Silva)
In the beginning of the novel Richard Write did not know much about race, class, discrimination, or inequality. Richard was interested in white people and wanted to know more about them but when he asks his mother about them she wouldn’t tell him much. Richard wanted to learn more out blacks and whites but this often got him into trouble. Richard Wright and his family encounter discrimination through the book. When hi mother was ill and needed help they could not take her to the hospital because they do not care for black people, and his uncle was killed for being a successful black business man. (Heather Poochigian)
Richard Wright didn't have a great understanding of race, class, discrimination, and inequality. Growing up, Wright didn't understand that there was a difference between his family, and white families. "To me they were merely people like other people, yet somehow strangely different because I had never come in close touch with any of them,"(23). Wright was a very curious child, who liked to ask questions, and learn new information, which usually got him into trouble. Wright's first brush with race issues was when he heard of a black boy in the neighborhood being beat my a white man. Because Wright was beaten by his father, he assumed the white man must have been the black boy's father, which would explain why he had beaten him. His mother later explained to him that the white man didn't whip the black child, he beat him. These first experiences made Wright even more curious about the divide between white and black people. He also experienced his uncle's murder, which was a result of his uncle owning a good business. When Wright's father left the family, his mother was forced to find a job as a cook in a white household. Wright and his brother often went along with their mother, and Wright was always puzzled as to the reason why the whites always seemed to have more than enough to eat, while he was starving. When the white family didn't finish their dinner, Wright was able to eat, which were the few times that he actually did eat. He didn't understand why his family was always starving, when other families always ate more than their fill. Wright began to relate that feeling of hunger with the absence of his father, because his father was the reason that they were struggling. Hunger is directly associated with the poverty that Wright and his family were living in.(Gabby Clyde)
I feel that in the beginning of the book did not know anything about race, color or discrimination. As he grew older he began to hear of injustices, discrimination and inequalities that revolved around his race of being black. His first experience of race and class discrimination was when his Uncle was killed because he had a successful business. He did not fully understand why this happened to his Uncle but to just hear of these injustices angered him. As a young child, Richard seemed to be very inquisitive about everything and as he grew older he felt that he began to fit in his role of disliking white people. Richard talks of a time when he and other little black boys in his neighborhood would stand outside the door of a Jewish mans store and say mean and hurtful profanities. This shows the discrimination that Richard had picked up as a child because he learned that the Jewish people were Christ killers. Instead of being corrected by parents, these little kids were either praised or not corrected for saying these things. I feel that the whole “white is superior to black” confused him because even as a young boy seeing the chain gang he asked his mother why the black prisoners were not fighting against the white people since they outnumbered them.(Mariana Mojica)
Richard Wright did not really know much about race, class, discrimination, and inequality in his childhood. He would always ask his mother questions about blacks and whites but she never really answer his questions straightforward. I felt as if Richard was in his whole in his own world most of the time. However, Richard did have some encounters of discrimination, race, inequality, and class as he got older. Richard was beaten on his way to grocery store a couple of times. His mother kept urging him to be able to defend himself. Richard moved around a lot ever since his father left his mother. He associated going hungry with his father because his father always brought the food home. Richard never really understood why his father left but he never liked his father anyway. Soon after that Richard's mother had to get a job. Richard began roaming the streets and learning inappropriate language because most of the people at the bars would use him as a guinea pig. The closest tragedy Richard experienced to race was when his successful uncle was murdered by white people. His uncle owned a liquor business and wanted to wait a little longer to have more money since more threats were coming his way. One night Richard's uncle was murdered because he was successful. Richard learned that he doesn't get attached to the places he moved or went because things were always changing. Leila Alawad
One of the most significant observations Richard Wright presents on class discrimination is the concept of hunger. Richard watched the white people eat at the diner his mother worked. Richard expresses that watching others eat as much as they wanted, when they wanted made his vaguely angry. On the verge of starvation Richard stood in a corner of the kitchen waiting until the white people were done eating, hoping they would not finish all their food. Richard states, "I always loved to stand in the white folks' kitchen when my mother cooked, for it meant that I got occasional scraps of bread and meat..." Richard noticed a separation amongst those who could eat when they were hungry and himself who either ate scraps or stayed hungry. Questions arouse amongst Richard as to why this separation occured and asked himself, "Why could I not eat when I was hungry? Why did I always have to wait until others were through?" He could not understand why some people had enough food and others did not and it is this that drives him during childhood to want to know more. One of the most significant observations Richard expresses about race discrimination is seen when his Uncle Hoskins is murdered by white men. Richard learns that his Uncle Hoskins had been killed by whites who had long coveted his flourishing liquor business (pg. 54). The white population seen a black mans success as a threat, un-tolerated in "their" town.
Richard longs for the understanding of why there is "black" and "white", why others talk the way that they do and fear as they do towards the white man. Richard presents his understanding of white people in the quote, "To me they were merely people like other people, yet somehow strangely different because I had never come in close touch with any of them. For the most part I never thought of them; they simply existed somewhere in the background of the city as a whole." Richard again wants to know more about the entire situation amongst black and white people and be on the same level as those around him. (Jodi Gongora)
As a young child, Richard Wright did not quite understand the dynamic between whites and blacks. He understood that there was a difference between “whites” and himself, but his mother would always disregard any questions he asked her. However, he did experience acts of discrimination. When his mother sent him to the grocery store, he was attacked by “white” boys. He did not understand that these boys were attacking him because of his race, but he began to realize there was something different about him. Also, when they boarded the train, he noticed that there were separate lines for blacks and whites, and that they sat in separate areas on the train. Richard Wright wanted to know more about why blacks and whites lived side by side and never interacting, except violently. He was also curious about which race his grandmother was, how she got her name, and what that made him. Richard Wright learns more about discrimination and inequality after the death of his uncle. He has a hard time understanding why his uncle did not fight back, and it’s difficult for him to understand that “white” men killed him because he had become a successful businessman. (Nicole Peck)
Richard Wright learned a lot about life at such a young age. Moving from home to home, his eyes were opened and curiosity filled his mind. He inquired a lot from his mother but never received any answers that fulfilled his thirst for knowledge. Richard soon began to realize his family's struggles. No food, no money, and no longer a father present in the home. He did not understand why everyone was able to eat besides his family. Going to work with his mother in the kitchen and seeing all of the whites eating, he did not understand why he could not sit down with them and also enjoy a meal. He questioned " Why can I not eat when I am hungry? Why did I always have to wait until others are through? I could not understand why some people had enough food and others did not?" At that point he knew it was something he would not understand any time soon. While traveling on the train from Mississippie to Arkansas he then again witnessed the treatment the colored poeple received and how different it was from the whites. He was very confused, not knowing exactly was going on. He could not seem to comprehend why there were two separate lines at the trains station.One for colored and one for whites. It seemed no matter how many questions he asked there was never an answer given back to him. He longed for answers wanting to know why. He was a young boy trying to place his life in order but no one seemed to acknowledge his inquisitive soul. (Sharita Henderson)
Richard Wright as a young boy did not understand the what class and race discrimination was but yet is was unknowingly feeling effects of them. Richard was growing up in a "White" and "Black" world. Ridchard seek out for answers as to why exactly was this dividing line between the too and for Richard his curiosity got the best of him and he found himself getting in trouble everytime what is it that differentiated the white from the black,"To me they were merely people like other people, yet somehow strangely different because I had never come in close touch with any of them," (p 23) He witnesses race discrimination when he saw a white man beating the black boy but he just asumed that it must of him his father since he was beaten by this father the concept of race discrimination have surpassed his understanding but once again is curiosity didnt stop there he later ask is mother but recived no answers, only a wipping. He lived throught class discrimination each day that went by with a grumble in his stomach that grumble became a grawl of frustration was he watch the white children at the restaurants eat there fill. It is a frusterating battle Richard fights in his mind trying to understand what it is that stands between the too. (Emily George)
Richard Wright has had a rough childhood. He grew up in extreme poverty. Richard's mom decides to keep quite about "Black" and "White" people. She never addresses anything racially with her son. At least not yet in the book. Richard is confused as to what it means to be either. He sees his own grandmother as being white, even though she is not. Richard has experience discrimination in race. His uncle was killed for having a successful business, because he was black. WHen his mother gets sick, Richard is told that they cannot take her to the hospital because they won't help black people. The class discrimination is relevant because of the poverty that he lives in. He seems to always be hungry in the book. There was also the segregated train station, where there is one line for black people and one like for white people. Richard again tries to address it with his mother but she hushes him. He is just trying to figure out what to make of the world that is confusing to him and I don't blame him. (Katie Crane)
As a young boy, Richard did not know much about race, class, discrimination and inequality. He was always full of questions but his mother refused to answer them because according to her he was too young to understand. One thing Richard did not understand growing up was the difference there was between the white and black families. He always knew there was a difference between them but he never really understood what it was. One of his experiences with class discrimination was when he would go to the white peoples home where his mother worked and he couldn’t eat whenever he was hungry. He had to wait until the white people were done and then maybe he could eat something Another example is when they boarded the train. He wanted to know why it was that black and whites were separated and couldn’t sit next to each other. Also when Richard found out about the black boy that was beaten by a white man he thought nothing about it. He was so used to the beatings he would get that he saw that as something normal and assumed that the white man was the father of the black boy. Growing up Richard experienced class discrimination each day and it was confusing for him to try to understand what was going on around him. Guillermo Rojas
Richard Wright was a very curious boy. However, he did not have a clear understanding of race, class, discrimination, and inequality as a young child. For example, he didn’t realize that there was even a difference between “whites” and “blacks”. One incident of race and inequality that Richard observed was when he heard of about a black boy who was beat by a white man. Due to Wright’s lack of understanding of race and inequality he assumed the white man must had been the black boy’s father. Wright’s assumption made since to him, because his own father always beat him. Wright was also curious about his grandmother’s race. He thought she was white, due to her lighter skin complexion, however she wasn’t. When he asked his mother about it, she was vague and wouldn’t explain may details about his grandmother to him. By his mother’s lack of information sharing, Richard began to question race, class, discrimination, and inequality issues more often. Richard became aware of class discrimination and inequality due to the fact that his family was always hungry. He didn’t understand why some people got to eat as much food as they wanted, and he had to wait. He couldn’t understand why his family was always in such need for food and other families always had more then plenty to eat. He noticed the differences among races and classes, but as a child he couldn't understand why there was such differences. When Richard’s uncle was killed for having a successful business, he did not fully understand why, however he did know such unfairness made him mad and frustrated. Wright just wanted to understand it all, and the more injustice he observed the more curious he became.
(Jennifer Landers)
As a child Richard Wright did not know much about race, class, discrimination and inequality. At his early life Richard was growing up facing disappointments. Some examples are: the relationship with mom and dad, then Southern racist culture and hunger and poverty. All this elements together made Richard questioning her mother all the times but there was not a clear answer to his concerns. He did not know the differences between white and black people. As Richard grew he did experience scenes of discrimination. He questioned himself lots of times; for example “why could I not eat when I was hungry? Why did I always have to wait until others were through? I could not understand why some people had enough food and others did not” (19). Anger seems the most significant in Richard’s life. These were the type of questions that he could not understand and which mom did not have a good response to them either. Richard did not understand why white people were separate from them. Richard first experience with white boys was when his mother sent him to the grocery store. He was attacked by “white” boys several times but he stood up and protects himself. Richard did not understand that these boys were attacking him because of his race. After this experience Richard went to the saloon and learned an inappropriate language. Then, his behavior started to react differently for example the gang fights, and running away from orphanage. After all these different experiences they moved with Uncle Hoskins. Richard had a good relationship with his uncle. His uncle was like a father to Richard. But one night his uncle was murdered because he became a successful businessman. Then, Richard had to move to a different place without knowing why white and black people did not get along so well. (Blanca Guzman)
Baptism by fire, essentially, is what Wright would attest to. The moment that kid set fire to the drapes was the exact instant his life would change forever. I guess there’d be no better beginning. Out with the old and in with the terrifyingly new. Race, class, black, white, poor, rich, out, in, these were ideas that Wright steadily became aware of, if he had not already been aware, in the vaguest sense anyway. What he discovered growing up was a tantalizing world filled of drunks, bad men, worse kids, Sisyphean living for those of a different color, and words that when combined with several others weaved a tapestry that kidnapped him and took him away from the dichotomy of the life that encapsulated him. What he saw growing up, Wright told of in a way that both confused and baited him. He first found the difference between blacks and whites to be inconsequential. The occurrence of a black boy beaten by a white man opened his eyes to the fact that he and others like him were different. The passive attitude he got when he asked about these things to his mother. How she herself seemed almost afraid to say it out loud. Wright began to see the world as divided. The more you know, the less you seem to. He found himself at the center of everyone’s business, and as such, became perplexed by all he uncovered and things yet to be explored. I mean, he was a kid after all, but during that time, being a kid meant growing up fast. It also meant that if you weren’t white, you had an even tougher time at it. Wright saw in himself and the other black boys, the misconstrued image of a stigma shaped by white people. The inequity of it all easily accepted that you shall night have more than me because of skin color. He felt seemingly obligated to explore that. To prod the difference. Obvious his appetite would not be easily quenched. I mean, just look at this book, it’s pretty long.
- Ken Cadiente
Richard Wright as a young child who was extremely curious throughout his childhood, and honestly who could blame him. With that came some consequences and this resulted in this poor boy not knowing anything that divided white people and black people. He didn't understand what race, class, discrimination and inequality meant he was far beyond knowing the extent that this division had came to be. Richard Wright was an innocent boy who was caught in a world pool of discrimination and torture and experienced the most selfish acts imaginable. One of those was where Richard Wright heard a black boy getting beaten by a white man, though this was an act of violence, Richard Wright thought nothing of it, because he shared that same experience with his own father. He thought this was the norm, he didn't know at that time that this was a racial beaten, but soon would learn and grow to understand this type of violence as a whole.
-Yanira Barrera
As a young child Richard Wright did not perceive race, class, discrimination or inequality. He did not comprehend that there was a race; he would only identify the color differences between people. For example, he saw nothing wrong for a white man to beat a black boy because he thought that just as his father beat him, the same thing applied to everyone. He was unable to recognize that race played an important role in situations like the beating of a black boy. Another example would be when a white man killed his uncle Hoskins. Richard Wright did not understand why that had happened and when he would ask his mother about these situations, mother would only shut him up or make it more confusing for him. As a young child he was really curious about everything he did not understand and wanted to know what was behind these events. In addition, Wright also experienced class discrimination when he went with his mom to her workplace. In his mother’s job, he observed that all the white people got all the food and the black people did not. They would wait to see if there was anything left for them to eat afterwards. When Wright traveled to another place, at the train station he observed that there were two lines; one for the whites and the other for the blacks. He had many questions about this division and what awaken his curiously to know more was the fact that his mother would always avoid his questions. His mother’s avoidance made Richard Wright suspect that there was something hidden behind the color differences among people, which motivated him to find answers to this dilemma.
-Rosana Nunez
Richard Wright makes many observations about racial and class discrimination throughout Black Boy. He experiences class discrimination from early childhood onwards, mostly through hunger. When his mom gets a job in the restaurant, he and his brother are forced to sit and watch food that they cannot eat be prepared and served to white customers. As he grows up he notices that blacks and whites do not mingle very often, and when they do, it is usually violent. He notices that there are “colored” and “white” fountains and does not quite understand why. He learns to fear whites, even though so far he has not been directly attacked by them. Once he makes an observation that his grandmother is white, or at least looks white. He questions his mother about topics of race relations, and she does not want to talk about it. It is clear that racial discrimination is a main reason why his family lives in such poverty- there are not as many options open for them. The reality for Richard Wright is that he must rise above the prejudices of the society he grew up in.
-Elizabeth Ingalls
Richard Wright grew up as a very curious young boy. He continuously asked multiple questions and he never really got straight answers making his curiosity worse. On page 23 and 24 Richard hears a story about a black boy being beaten by a white man whom he assumed was the boys father. Richards mother clarified to him that the man was not his father and in fact the boy was beaten. Richard could not understand why the man would be a child without causation. It made him wonder what white people were really like.
On pages 46 through 49 Richard questions his mother if Granny is white. Because granny was a creole he assumed that she was white because she was lighter skinned than most blacks, as it were. After asking what granny was he asked what he was and mama says that he is black, white and red. He then asks why what he would be labeled as and mom says that he will be called a colored man. Richard couldn’t understand what makes the difference between a white person and a black person. He continuously looks to understand the world. (Jerica Guzman)
As a child, Richard Wright heard of many injustices that were going on around him. Nobody ever took the time to explain what was going on so he really learned on his own. An example of this is when he would ask his mom the difference between whites and blacks. She really did not want to speak to him about it. Also when his aunt's husband was killed, he had many questions as to why this happened. All these things that were going on around him confused him because of this lack of knowlegde. He wanted to know why blacks were treated differently. He also wanted to know why there was so much violence going around and what was the difference between a white man and a black man if they both looked the same to him.
-Jazmin Anguiano
When we are young, we can all see the outward appearance of someone. Tall, short, big, small, black, white, but these are obvious. Race, class, discrimination and inequality are learned, taught or otherwise imprinted upon us. Richard knows there are differences in people, but not until a black boy is beaten by a white man, does he begin to realize how distorted his view is. Adding to this could be that his grandmother, though white became black once she married a black man.The first-time Richard notices a difference in class happens at the railroad station. The train station has two lines of people at the ticket window, a “white” line and a “black” line. At that moment, he realized Negroes sat in one part of the train and whites another. This gave Richard a sense the two races had been born in him with a shared concreteness that would stay with him forever.
Growing up Richard faces many struggles. His family shields him by not being open or talking about the many things that pique his interest or confuse him. Time after time, he observes situations, he needs answers for. “Again, I was being shut out of the secret, the thing, the reality I felt somewhere beneath all the words and silences” (47). In my opinion, Richard is an inquisitive child. He wants to know anything and everything. For some people, the need to know who, what, when, where, and why becomes an internal hunger that must be satisfied. It’s a puzzle, and all the pieces must fit together to help them better understand their world. Richard personally feels life holds some type of secret code and cryptic messages that are just out of his grasp.His mother and grandmother’s refusal to explain life’s truths to him makes him more determined to learn whatever the price. ----Amber Archila
As a child, Richard Wright knew nothing about race, class, discrimination, and inequality. He knew, however, that there were white people and black people, but he did not really understand the differences between them. Richard was always curious about this and would always ask his mother, but he would never get any answers. His first contact with race issues came when he heard about a white man “beating” a black boy. He thought it was okay for that to happen since his father would whip him all the time. His mother finally explained to him that white men don’t whip black boys. Instead, they beat them. Another race and class issue that Richard had experienced was when his mother began to work as a cook for the white man. Seeing all of the food that the white people had on their plates, Richard always wondered why they got to eat so much and he and his family had very little to eat. Because he felt that his father was the reason why they were in that situation, he began to relate his feeling of hunger to his father, blaming him for it.
(Moriah Gatson)
---Wright experiences the differences between blacks and whites as a child. His curiosity grows with each new experience and he becomes more confused as to why white men do the things they do. Wright does not understand or comprehend the difference in class or why white’s can have dinner every night but he most starve for days. His confusion grows more as he gets older, not understanding why a white man who is not the father of the black boy can beat him the boy and get away with it. His curiosity only angers his mother and results in her hushing him quite. Wright's constant moving of homes, having nothing to eat, and losing father figures is such a normal aspect of his life that his mind no longer questions. Wright’s young mentality does not realize the inequalities between races but rather feels as though they are normal. As Wright grows older the distinctions between whites and blacks starts to grow a hatred with in himself, and becomes a normal response.
---(tasha boyd)
The major events that young Richard Wright noticed about class was while his mother was working for a white family, the family had well cooked meals and were able to eat. In Richards household they didn’t have much to eat because his mom didn’t make enough money to keep the kitchen stocked with food. Richard a little later experienced discrimination and inequality by seeing what happened to his uncle Hoskins. Uncle Hoskins business was doing pretty well especially by him being Black, and the White people didn’t like that he was a successful business owner. So because the white people did not like that he was making money he was killed. Richard didn’t understand why these different things were happening, and by Richard being a curious boy he asked questions which always got him in trouble with his family.-Monique Tolbert
Richard Wright makes many observations about racial and class discrimination throughout Black Boy. He experiences class discrimination from early childhood onwards, mostly through hunger. When his mom gets a job in the restaurant, he and his brother are forced to sit and watch food that they cannot eat be prepared and served to white customers. As he grows up he notices that blacks and whites do not mingle very often, and when they do, it is usually violent. He notices that there are “colored” and “white” fountains and does not quite understand why. He learns to fear whites, even though so far he has not been directly attacked by them. Once he makes an observation that his grandmother is white, or at least looks white. He questions his mother about topics of race relations, and she does not want to talk about it. It is clear that racial discrimination is a main reason why his family lives in such poverty- there are not as many options open for them. The reality for Richard Wright is that he must rise above the prejudices of the society he grew up in.
(Jerry Brown)
Richard Wright was confused about race and who was considered white and who was considered black. He knew that people had different skin colors but he didn't really pay it any mind. His grandmother was "white" so he just thought it was natural. After his mother got a job cooking for white families, richard didn't understand why his mother and him couldn't eat with the white folks. He was hungry and since he was there with his mother he wanted to eat just as the white folks did. He later realized the dynamics surrounding whites and blacks and why things were as they were. He watched a white man beat a black boy and assumed they were father and son. He later found out that no and in fact they were not related, so he didn't understand why this was allowed. Later on in his life he encountered a truck of white males that offered to give him a ride and because he didn't say "yes, sir" they left him on the side of the road and told him to thank his lucky stars that they found him and not some other white males. He was offered a job and was beaten by two employees for wanting to better himself and they felt threatened by that. All of these encounters and he was not able to tell anyone what happened or reach out for help. He ultimately over came all of these obstacles and went on with his life with no regrets.
(Roe Turner)